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PEO IEW&S Promotes DPEO to SES
by John Higgins, PEO IEW&S Public Affairs
Joseph Bucci, Deputy Program Executive Officer – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) was promoted to a member of America’s Senior Executive Service (SES) on Jan 13. Bucci has served the United States at home and abroad alongside his colleague and friend, Maj. Gen. Kirk Vollmecke, the PEO for IEW&S, who presided over the promotion ceremony on Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Selection to the rank of SES, similar to general or flag officer in the Armed Forces, is extremely competitive; they make up less than .2% of Army civilian positions.
Bucci prepared rigorously for his new level of responsibility by completing the NASA Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, graduating Army War College, and serving as a Fellow for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s inaugural Strategic Studies Group. Other previous assignments include G3 for the Research Development and Engineering Command and Senior Test Manager for multiple Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) organizations, to name just a few of the positions and training Bucci has completed in his career.
During the ceremony MG Vollmecke offered personal insight into the experiences, skills and personality that served Bucci throughout his career.
“Here’s the part you don’t know about Joe, he is a PT (physical training) animal.” Vollmecke, cheerfully recounted a story where Bucci lead a 100 mile Spin class for the Charity Autism Speaks, while the two were deployed in Afghanistan. “It was not a fun class.” Vollmecke said getting a laugh from Soldiers and civilians in the audience.
“Joe and I worked together in Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom Sentinel. During that time, Joe was very much in his element,” said Vollmecke. “Throughout his deployment, Joe was out there with our work force ensuring the team had what they needed.”
That work force was the American military and its allies working with Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, with Bucci leading acquisition training for that work force as Director of Capability Development for Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. It was a massive undertaking where Bucci led the way in acquisition training, materiel development and sustainment for the two Afghan forces totaling 352,000 personnel.
During Bucci’s speech he thanked his family and all the colleagues and mentors who supported and helped develop his skills and abilities.
In reflecting on the support he received on the home front, Bucci paid particular attention to the effect his family had on his career by saying, “We might be a civilian Army family, but we’re an Army family none-the-less, and as with all Army families it’s the ones at home who make everything possible.”
Bucci is now cemented as the DPEO IEW&S managing an extensive portfolio of products supporting the warfighter. He, will continue in this role for the foreseeable future.
In briefly discussing the PEO IEW&S mission Bucci said, “We are the point of the spear when it comes to informing the warfighter. From Aerial sensors to major intelligence programs to fielding countermeasures that keep our warfighters alive, PEO IEW&S leads the way in resilience and real-time relevance.”
He ended his remarks by promising to work with and leverage all the expertise available on Aberdeen Proving Ground.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]